Are the Hurricanes good enough to take down Florida State, which whipped Texas State by 43 points? Can they hang with Clemson, a 39-point winner over Wofford? Can they tackle Georgia Tech, which trounced Alcorn state by 63?

No way to know that now, not after this game. Simply hang up the Hurricanes’ handiwork, a 45-point victory, along with those who handled their business.

After all, the next two opponents on the schedule didn’t. FAU, which hosts UM on Friday, lost 47-44 at Tulsa, an opponent in its weight class. Nebraska, arriving in South Florida in two weeks, fell 33-28 to BYU on a game-ending Hail Mary.

It was not perfect, mainly because starting wide receivers Stacy Coley (left ankle) and Braxton Berrios (left knee) left the game with injuries. The severity of both was unknown, though Al Golden and quarterback Brad Kaaya expressed confidence they were not serious.

Miami’s offense was 3-of-11 on third down. The offensive line, which like the defensive line faced off against a smaller, less mobile unit, had its struggles and allowed a strip-sack. Kaaya “sailed” a few throws early, Golden said, and the quarterback assessed his own play as a “5 or 6” out of 10.

If that’s how Kaaya feels after throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns, that’s another good sign. He grades himself on a curve.

Scott felt the same way, after catching six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

“I dropped one,” he said. “That was all I was thinking about.”

Author: Matt Porter

Matt Porter grew up in Gloucester, Mass., graduated from Emerson College and worked for the Boston Globe before joining the Post in 2009. He covers the University of Miami and college sports, and pitches in on coverage of South Florida sports teams including the Miami Heat and Miami Marlins.
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